Ohio Action for Healthy Kids:Working with schools, families and communities to help
kids learn to be healthier and ready to learn.
Presented by
Kecia Whittenburg
UC MPH Extended Internship Presentation
June 9, 2010
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Overview of Presentation
– National Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK)
– Ohio Action for Healthy Kids (OAFHK)
– Regional OAFHK
– OAFHK Goals
– My time with OAFHK
– MPH/ HPE portfolio
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National Action for Healthy Kids
•Created in 2002, Action for
Healthy Kids was a response
to then-U.S. Surgeon General
Dr. David Satcher’s public call
to action to work with schools
to fight the national epidemic
of childhood obesity.
•First Lady Laura Bush served
as Honorary Chairperson.
“We must understand this important
truth: that improving children’s
health likely improves school
performance. It may even help a
school’s bottom line.
Ohio Action for Healthy Kids
• Ohio Action for Healthy Kids is part of a three-
tiered structure of national, state and regional
teams working together to encourage and
facilitate positive change in schools.
• Ohio AFHK is a statewide initiative dedicated
to improving the health and educational
performance of children through better
nutrition and physical activity in schools.
• Ohio Action for Healthy Kids is divided into 10
regional zone teams to create change in
schools at the grassroots level by
collaborating with local schools, organizations
and child health advocates.
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Ohio Regional Zone 8
– Regional zone teams work at county,
school district and school building levels to
improve nutrition and increase opportunities
for physical activity in Ohio schools.
– Zone 8 is in central Ohio and includes
Union, Delaware, Licking, Madison and
Franklin Counties.
– Jan Ritter- Zone 8 Chair- RD Nationwide
Children’s Hospital
– Mary Chace, Ph.D. MPH- OAFHK
Consultant- (My Preceptor)
Organizations Actively Support the Activities of
the Ohio AFHK Zone 8 Coalition
• American Cancer Society
• Children’s Hunger Alliance
• Columbus Public Health
• Delaware General Health
District
• Franklin County Board of
Health
• McConnell Heart Health
Center
• American Dairy Council
• Ohio PTA
• SOPHE
• American Heart Association
• Nationwide Children’s
Hospital
• Ohio Department of Health
• Ohio Department of
Transportation
• Ohio State University
• PEPSICO
• Ohio/ Columbus Metro Parks
and Recreation
• YMCA of Central Ohio
• Buckeye Association of
School Administrators
• Ohio Department of Education
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Ohio Action for Healthy Kids Goals
• Three goals guide the Ohio Action for Healthy Kids team's work
to promote healthy school environments that offer children
sound nutrition and opportunities for physical activity.
1) Expand Ohio schools' participation in the USDA School
Breakfast Program.
2) Ensure healthy snacks and foods are available in vending
machines, school stores and other venues within the
school's control.
3) Ensure children have access to quality co-curricular
physical activity programs, inside and outside the school
day.
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My time with Ohio Action for Healthy Kids
Healthy Communities, Active Transportation
Conference March 30, 2010• This was a one day conference which had attendees
from all different backgrounds.
• Ohio Department of Health
• Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
• Ohio Department of Transportation
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources
• And many more!
• The conference promoted safety and Complete
Streets as a path to building healthy communities
and transportation choices for Ohioans.
• Keynote speaker- Mark Fenton
• Breakout sessions I attended:
– How to conduct pedestrian & bike safety audits in
your community
– Safety of Active Transportation: Perception vs. Reality
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Game On! blog
• Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge prepares schools for
success by providing step-by-step instructions on how to
assemble a team and make wellness a priority.
• http://gameonohio.wordpress.com/
• Update the site
• Write blogs
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Webinars
• How to host a webinar- Hosted by National AFHK,
offering GoTo Webinar services
• Grant Writing for Beginners- Hosted by Peaceful
Playgrounds
• SPARK- Teach Students a Lifestyle Budget: Balancing
Nutrition and Physical Education
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Take a Taste Days
• 4 Hilliard elementary schools host monthly fruit &
vegetable tastings to promote trying new and different
foods.
• I made a year one booklet of handouts for each fruit or
vegetable and added different physical activity or
nutrition sheets
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Handouts Galore!!
Ohio PTA Convention
• Mary and I held one of the breakout sessions titled
“Infusing Physical Activity for Students Into Their
School Day”
• OAFHK also had a booth front and center!
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HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC)
Training
• HUSSC is a voluntary initiative established in 2004 by USDA to
recognize those schools participating in the National School
Lunch Program that have created healthier school environments
through promotion of nutrition and physical activity.
• In February, First Lady Michelle Obama introduced Let’s Move!,
incorporating the HealthierUS School Challenge into her
campaign.
• I attended a one day workshop on the HUSSC
– The application process
– Criteria
– Taught us how to participate in the challenge and build school
community support for this effort
– Explained the benefits and incentives are for participating
– And it walked us through the school promotion packet toolkit
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Parent Academy
• The ODE provided grant funds for schools to hold a
“Parent Academy”
• I actually attended 4 different ones- here is a quick
look at 2
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Power Up
Moves and Food
Slate Ridge Elementary Parent Academy
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Final Product!!
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Darby Creek Elementary Parent Academy
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Welcome Table:
When coming:
Register, name & email
Map of activities
Punch card, “passport”
those with stickers on the back won a free 15 minute
chair massage
Bag of goodies:
“Be Well” book for parents
Fat facts, breakfast handout
Measuring spoons, cups
Quit line brochure
Parent Academy booklet
When leaving:
Turn in passport – drawing for Am Cancer Soc
cookbook
Turn in eval - tomato seedlings
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In the Gym….
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“Fitness
Fun” in the
Gym
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In the cafeteria:
“Build a Rainbow Snack”
“Cooking Demonstration”
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In the Library
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In the computer room
•Portion Size Station
•Salt and Sugar Station
•You are What You Eat;
•Create Your Own Life-Sized Drawing
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“Bingo” In the Art Room – not your boring old Bingo!
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Other Stations
•Milk Ka-Blam! And Dairy Games
•Learn How to Pack a Healthy Lunch
Great ideas
•Used resources from community, YMCA, ISPTO, Am. Cancer Society
•Used resources already at school – pe equipment, computers
•Utilized college students, interns
•Recruited parent professors for wellness committee, not just event
KEY
•Wellness committee effort!
•Truly viewed event as one step, not a one-time affair
•Personal connections/tie-in with OAFHK zone
Fitness Friday!!
• Through grants given by OAFHK, I attended the
sponsored event.
• Lisa, PE teacher, set up 17 fitness stations for the kids
to enjoy.
• http://gameonohio.wordpress.com/
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Live Like a Caveman Wellness Week
• This was a week long challenge for the students to eat
healthier, turn off the TV & video games, pay attention
to how much physical activity they are involved in & to
HAVE FUN!!
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What questions
do you have for me?
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